Music and Comedy venues across Louth encouraged to apply for new €1 million scheme

Louth County Council has encouraged  music and comedy venues across Dundalk, Drogheda, Ardee, Carlingford and beyond to apply for a new €1 million national scheme to support Ireland’s grassroots venues. 

The Night-Time Economy Grassroots Venue Support Scheme 2026 (GVSS) was launched last week by Minister Patrick O’Donovan.

The scheme supports programming of live music or comedy, PR and advertising costs, equipment hire, production and crew fees, and other essential costs. Crucially all artists and crew must be paid for their work. Venues can receive grants of up to €20,000 for established venues (Stream A, €800k fund), or up to €8,000 for emerging venues (Stream B, €200k fund).

Last year, three Louth venues: Mo Chara (Dundalk), McHugh’s (Drogheda), and The Spirit Store (Dundalk) tapped into the pilot round of the scheme, each using it to give young talent the space to belong, experiment, and grow.

Commenting on the benefits of the scheme Paul Kelly from Mo Chara, Dundalk said:

“The Grassroots Music Venue scheme was a massive help to us here at Mo Chara. Times are tough for independent venues everywhere at the moment, so support like this really makes a difference on the ground. The funding allowed us to host eight live shows over the period, bringing great artists through the door and giving our community more nights of live music to enjoy.

Mo Chara was built around the idea of people coming together for music and good times, and initiatives like this help keep that spirit alive. We’re really grateful for the support and delighted to see the scheme continuing."

Alan Cooney from McHugh’s, Drogheda added:

“This scheme has been great for us. It gives the next generation — the young promoters as well as the new acts — space to belong and somewhere to grow. McHugh’s has always been about giving young people a shot and letting them have a say in how the culture develops around them. That’s how a scene builds.

Everyone needs to work together now more than ever, and this support helps us do that. It’s also good to see comedy included this time, another welcome step. Hopefully more venues will take part so we can all build something strong together.”

Derek Turner, from The Spirit Store, Dundalk commented:

“We at the Spirit Store welcome the new Grassroots Venue Support Scheme 2026 that was announced on Friday 6th March by Minister Patrick O'Donovan. The grant will allow dedicated grassroots venues across Ireland to produce and promote shows that may have been difficult to take on initially due to financial constraints and limited return for the performers and venues. Promoting and nurturing emerging talent is the lifeblood of our small venues and is part of the essential role we play in the early stages of the artist's career.

We would like to also thank The Frames for drawing attention to our small stages by highlighting the need to support these spaces. Lastly, we would like to pay a sincere thanks to the work done by the Live Venue Collective for being a voice for grassroots venues.”

The scheme is delivered by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, which also funds the Night-Time Economy Adviser (NTEA) role hosted within Louth County Council ensuring the county’s work aligns directly with national cultural policy.

Mark Davies, Night-Time Economy Adviser for Louth, said the county is at a turning point:

“Louth’s venues have always punched above their weight. What we’re seeing now is the start of a young cultural wave — new promoters, new acts, new ideas, and a community that’s hungry for it.

This scheme gives them oxygen. It gives them room to try things, take risks, and shape a culture that belongs to them. If more venues step in this year, we could see the beginning of a real youth‑culture renaissance across the county.”

For further information and support with applications contact Louth’s Night-Time Economy Advisor at nighttimeeconomy@louthcoco.ie. The deadline for applications is 12noon on Monday, 30 March 2026.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.